allen



(No Model.)

vF. A. ALLEN. Frame f-olr supporti-ng'Dead Birds as Decoys.

7 Patented Aug. 3; 1880.

LHIIIIIIHEHLU.

IIII

PHEH. WASHINGTON D C.

N. PETiRS, PHOTO LITHOGRA NITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

FRED. A. ALLEN, OF MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO FRED. E. HARDING, OF SAME PLACE.

FRAME FOR SUPPORTING DEAD BlRDS AS DECOYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,600, dated August 3, 1880.

Application filed March 31, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED. A. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monmouth, in the county of Warren and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Frames for Supporting Dead Birds as Decoys; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the'accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates'to a frame for supporting dead birds as decoys to live birds, for hunters and sportsmens uses; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a ballasted base, to which a dead bird may be attached so as to be sustained upright on water; second, to afiord facilities for holding the head and neck of the dead decoy-bird in upright position; third, to provide a support for the tail of the dead decoy-bird; fourth, to provide side-supports fifth, to provide wingsupports sixth, to provide an adjustable ballast; seventh, to construct and connect-all of the parts with the base, so that they may be folded thereon and out of the way for packing and carrying when not in use.

I attain these objects 'by mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which show one method of putting my invention into use.

Figure 1 is a perspective, showing my device in full lines. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. Sis a vertical central longitudinal sectional elevation. Fig. 4is a perspective, showing the device folded. Fig. 5 is a top plan.

The same letter indicates the same part in the different figures of the drawings.

Ais abase or block, of wood or other suitable light material, preferably with a lengthwise groove, a, and transverse grooves a a. a in its upper side, and avertical groove, a, in each side, and a vertical slot, a in its rear end.

B is a rod, its lower end, b, bent at right angles, as shown in the drawings, and hinged by eyes b in the bottom and at the forward end of the groovea, so that the rod B can be (No model.)

O (J are side guards or holders, formed of wires, having a central portion, 0, and side portions, a, bent at right angles thereto. A guard, G, is placed at each side of the base A and the ends 0 hinged to the base by eyes ,0, which interlock with eyes 0 on the base, so that the guards may be turned outward, as shown at Figs. 1 and 2, or inward and down upon the base with the portions 0 in the grooves a and the portions 0 in the groove a, as shown at Fig. 4.

D is a tail-guard or support, formed of a wire bent as shown, and its lower ends hinged to the rear end of the base Ain the groove a, so that it can be turned upward and backward, and held in or about the position shown at Figs.

1, 2, and 3, or turnedforward and downward,-

as shown at- Fig. 4.

E is the ballast, formcdof a wire, 0, with a weight, a, on one end and a book, 0, on its other end.

F is a staple in the base A, at the inner end and upper side of the slot a and Gris a guard, formed of a wire bentas shown at Fig. 5.

When the hook e is engaged with the staple F the wire 6 will rest in the curve of the guard G, and thus hold the ballast about at the angle to the base rearwardly shown'at Fig. 2, and also hold the base from turning or tipping over to either side.

When not in use the ballast may be turned upward into a horizontal position and slid forward, so that its hook end 0 will rest beneath the end I) of the rod B, and the weight a pass within the slot a in the base.

The base A may be made of different sizes, for wild geese, brants, ducks, or other birds. The dead bird is placed on the base A, as shown by dotted lines at Figs. 2 and 3 of the draw- IOO and wings of the bird and secured by a rubber or other band, H, to hold the bird in place laterally on the base, and to secure the wings. The guard D will support the tail.

The bird being, as hereinbefore described, secured to the base A, it may be placed in the water where desired. The heavier endthe head and breast of the bird-will tend to lower that end of the base, and this tendency will be counteracted by the weight of the ballast, and also by its inclination rearward at its lower end. The ballast will thus sustain the base and bird from tipping or turning forward or backward, and, as hereinbefore described, from tipping or turning over to either side in the water.

In very shallow water, or where desired to use a bird on land, the base and bird may be held upright by inserting the-upper end of a stick, J, in a hole, A, in the base, the lower end of which stick may be sharpened and forced downwardinto the ground.

For convenience of packing or for carrying in the pocket the parts 13 D may be turned down upon the base A and the ballast E raised and slid forward, as hereinbefore described, and the parts G then being turned down, also as described, the rubber band H may be passed around all to secure them in a folded condition, as shown at Fig. 4. 1

Studs'or tacks I in the sides of the base may be used with the elastic band H, as shown at Figs. 1 and 2, or the band may be passed entirely around the base and bird.

It will be evident that the rod 13 may be hinged or connected in various ways to thebase, asmay also the side-guards G and tail-guard D,- and that the base may be of different forms, and have or not have the grooves to facilitate folding the parts into the case, and that the ballast may be attached in various ways; hence I do not limit my claims to the particular construction or manner of connecting these parts; but

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with a base provided with devices for attaching thereto a dead decoy-bird, of a ballast projected downward from said base to sustain the base and decoy-bird in upright positions in the watelysubstantially as. and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with a base provided with devices for attaching thereto a dead decoybird, a ballast, E, connected with the base, whereby it may be turned downward to hold it and the decoy-bird upright in the water, and may be slid forward in a groove in the base for packing, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth 3. In combination with a ballasted base to which a dead decoy-bird may be attached, a head-support for sustaining the head and neck of the bird, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In combination with a base to which a dead, decoy-bird may be attached, a head-support hinged to the base, whereby it may be turned up to support the head of the decoy and down for packing, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In combination with a base to which a dead decoy-bird may be attached, side-guards G, for holding the decoy-bird from lateral displacement on the base, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In combination with a ballasted base to which a dead decoy-bird may be attached, sideguards O, hinged to the base, whereby they may be turned up into position for holding the bird against lateral displacement on the base and turned downward or folded onto the base for packing, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7 In combination with the base A and hinged side-guards (J, the band H, for holding the side-guards (3 up to the decoy-bird, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. The combination, with the base A, of a tail guard, D, projecting upward from the base, whereby it may form a support for the tail of the dead decoy-bird, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination, with the base A, of the tail-guard D, hinged to the base, whereby it may be turned upward to support the tail of the decoy-bird and be turned downward or folded upon the base for packing, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. In combination with the ballasted base A, the head-support B and tail-support D, hinged to the base, whereby they may be turned upward as supports for the bird and downward upon the base for packing, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

11. In combination with the base A, the supports 13, G, and D, hinged to the base, whereby they may be turned upward to support the dead-bird in place on the base and be folded or turned down upon the base, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

12. In combination with a base provided with supports B O D for holding a dead decoybird in place on the base, a ballast, E, projecting downward from the base to hold it and the decoy-bird in upright position in the water, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

13. In combination with the base A, the supports B G D, and ballast E, hinged or connected with the base to permit of folding them thereon for packing, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

14. In combination with the base A and side-guards G, the bands H and studs I, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED. A. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

W. E. NYE, Jornv B. ENDRISS. 

